READING FC are still searching for a first home win since April after tonight’s galling defeat to Norwich City.

Royals were bidding for back-to-back Championship victories after beating Preston at Deepdale on Saturday.

But Paul Clement’s men came up short against the Canaries as they slumped to a fifth defeat from their opening eight matches.

Worse still, they have lost all four league games at Madejski Stadium this season and were thrashed 4-0 by Ipswich Town in the last home match of the previous campaign.

It is a woeful record Clement desperately needs to address.

His side were booed off the pitch tonight – a worrying sign of unrest even this early on in the campaign.

The frustrating loss leaves Royals stuck in the relegation zone and with confidence seemingly on the floor.

In many ways the last thing they probably want is another home fixture against Hull City this Saturday (3pm ko).

But it is Clement’s job to rally his troops over the next few day in a bid to stop the rot – or face even more criticism from disgruntled supporters.

His side were behind tonight from the 14th minute when Teemu Pukki fired Norwich ahead with a quality finish.

To sum up Reading’s frustrations, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson came off the bench to equalise in the 72nd minute – only for Norwich replacement Mario Vrancic to score what proved to be the winner barely 60 second later.

Clement kept faith with the same team that started against Preston, while new loan-signing Saeid Ezatolahi was on the bench after his visa was cleared.

But there was no sign of Royals skipper Paul McShane once again as Clement went with Liam Moore and Tiago Ilori once again, with John O’Shea as back-up.

Royals started on the front foot but were lucky not to concede in the fourth minute when Christoph Zimmermann somehow headed wide from inside the six-yard box when it looked easier to score.

Then Emi Buendia smacked a 25-yarder that needed all of Sam Walker’s attention in the Reading goal.

And the Canaries were quick to turn that momentum into a 14th minute deadlock-breaker.

Royals made a litany if mistakes before Todd Cantwell found Pukki who bent a perfectly-angled shot around Walker’s outstretched arm and into the corner for a deserved lead.

Suddenly, Clement’s men looked flat as they struggled to make any impression on Farke’s visitors.

Sone Aluko did fire into the side netting on 21 minutes, but Tim Krul had it covered all the way.

However, the ex-Newcastle United stopper had to be at his very best when tipping a Meite thunderbolt from long range around the far post at full stretch.

It was, though, a rare chance for the Royals who had wasted a decent opportunity minutes earlier when Chris Gunter’s cut-back from the bye-line was easily cut out by the visiting defence.

Little was going Reading’s way. Marginal decisions were going against them, but there was no excusing the inaccurate passing that crept into their play.

And to sum up the first half, Meite’s smacked an effort from 25-yards that cannoned off a Norwich defender and hit Aluko square in the face, knocking him to the floor.

A half-time team talk from Clement did little to change much in the early stages of the season half.

Buendia cut in from the right and hammered a left-footed shot from 10 yards, but Moore spotted the danger and threw his body at the ball, deflecting it behind for a corner.

The hosts did create an opening in the 52nd minute when Sam Baldock was sent clean through, only to fire against the post with the linesman’s flag already raised for offside.

Clement replaced Meite with Modou Barrow just before the hour, and the Gambian winger had an instant impact.

He played a neat one-two with Baldock, but the latter dallied over his shot allowing Norwich to snuff out the danger.

The visitors responded by winning a corner which centre-back Timm Klose headed narrowly over.

It then became the ‘Subs Show’ as replacement for both sides made an indelible mark on the match just minutes after coming on.

Bodvarsson pulled Reading level in the 72nd minute when he swept home from close range after Baldock’s initial shot had rebounded off the post following a John Swift cross that Moore had flicked on.

But the Canaries regained the lead barely a minute later and before many Reading fans had re-taken their seats.

Once again, the Royals defence was all at sea when Norwich attacked and Vrancic was given too much time to turn and fire a low shot past Walker and into the opposite corner.

Any ounce of confidence Royals may have gained from the equaliser evaporated within in a flash.

And as they pushed forward in desperate search of a second goal, they left themselves exposed at the back, with Walker coming to the rescue with a smart near-post save to deny Vrancic.

There was no late relief for the hosts as another home game ended with defeat which is now an all too familiar story.

Reading: Walker, Gunter, Yiadom, Moore, Bacuna, Baldock, Swift, Aluko (Sims 65), Ilori, Meite (Barrow 59), Kelly (Bodvarsson 68). Subs not used: O'Shea, McNulty, Jaakola, Ezatolahi. Booked: Meite 26, Gunter 54.

Norwich City: Krul, Zimmermannm Leitner (Trybull 75), Lewis, Klose, Buendia (Vrancic 68), Stiepermann (Rhodes 86), Pukki, Tettey, Cantwell, Aarons. Subs not used: Oxborough, Godfrey, Passlack, Srbeny. Booked: Vrancic 76, Aarons 81.

Referee: Tim Robinson.

Attendance: 12,822 (Norwich 919).